Storm Approaching

Chapter 10; Dyana

Tw: This chapter will be talking about SA. If this is a trigger for you, please scroll all the way down and read the summary for this chapter. If you are a Aegon defender, gtfo. Thanks.

***

Vaelora wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't this.

For starters, the greeting they received was lackluster. She expected more people to be there to greet the King's oldest child and heir to the throne. Mayhaps they were too busy redecorating the castle. She could hardly recognize the place. Where Targaryen legacy was supposed to be showcased, the Faith of The Seven was there instead. She wasn't sure what she felt, but "uncomfortable" wasn't a strong enough word.

Vaelora and her brothers opted for putting her children down for a nap after their long flight instead of visiting the King in his chambers. She'd have to see him, sure, but it didn't have to be now. She didn't want to see him at all. Viserys, Alicent, Aemond...

Him.

She'd keep avoiding them until she had no choice.

"We could go to the courtyard" Jace suggested after they finally got the last child down. They all linked arms, with Vaelora being inbetween the two boys who were a bit tired themselves after putting four children down. "See what else has been changed".

She wasn't sure she wanted to see that. Everything seemed so lifeless. Was everyone busy? Hiding? Dismissed? The hall was quiet, eerily so. Their footsteps were amplified with the lack of people bustling around, and her mind started playing tricks on her. She thought she could hear an extra pair of footsteps but everytime she turned around no one was there. She was more paranoid than she wanted to admit.

Her nose crinkled. Was she imagining those sobs?

"Do you hear that?".
No. She wasn't imagining it. Luke heard it too.

They all paused their walking to glance around. No doubt they looked like idiots, but how they looked was of little importance. Then Vaelora's eyes landed on the door to the Queen's chambers and against her better judgment she stepped towards it. The sounds got louder. "Here" she whispered to her brothers.

"That's to the Queen's chambers!" Luke whispered in protest when Vaelora pressed her ear against the door. "We should keep walking" is what came out of his mouth. His actions showed that he was just as nosey as her, and in seconds all three of them were listening in at the door.

An unfamiliar shaky voice spoke. "-when I turned... I didn't see him. I asked him to stop, Your Grace-" the girl's voice began to shake more in panic as she pled her case to who Vaelora knew had to be Alicent.

The amusement of being nosey was gone. The atmosphere around them had turned tense now. Whoever the girl was on the other side of that door shared something in common with Vaelora that she wouldn't wish on her worst enemies. Alicent comforted her and told her she believed her, but Vaelora herself wanted to wrap her arms around the unknown girl and hold her tightly as she whispered kind words into her ear.

She turned when she felt a tug on her arm, and saw Luke ushering her to leave. She couldn't. Not because she was nosey and wanted more gossip, but because she now had a question gnawing at her insides.

Who did it?

She had a feeling but she hoped she was wrong.

She shook her head no then pressed her ear against the door again.
"-You were alone with the Prince, were you not?" She heard Alicent ask.

"Yes" the girl started stammering but Alicent cut her off.

"And no one else saw what happened between the two of you?". Her heart felt like it was being crushed when she heard the girl's breathing begin to speed up. "If anyone else were to hear about this-"